Automatic recorder



2 Sheets-Sheet l Original FiledMarch 27, 1937 ITN R, NWN

#Meran deaf/fm@ Dec. 5, 1939. D. H. CAMERON AUTOMATIC RECORDER Original Filed March 27, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 dezaez? mlaaffzerm Nagy )a @daag/g4 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 AUTOMATIC RECORDER Donald H. Cameron, Racine, Wis.,

B. D. Eisendrath Tanning Co., Chicago, corporation of Illinois assigner to Ill., a

Original application March 27, 1937, Serial No.

133,333. Divided and this application January 7, 1938, Serial No. 183,908

3 Claims.

This application is a division from my copending application Serial No. 133,333 filed March 2'7, 1937.

This invention relates to automatic recorders, and more particularly to the mechanism which makes a record on a chart.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improved support and means for actuating a pen or pencil for the purpose of making an automatic record.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following descriptionl of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a recorder embodying my invention, parts of the recorder being shown in 'section for the sake of better illustration?.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through my recorder, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a sectionalv plan detail view, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, the part of the recorder illustrated therein comprises a suitable cabinet which may include end frames II) secured together by bars I I. On one of the end frames I0 a synchronous clock motor I2 is mounted. This motor is connected by means of gears I3 and I4 to a screw I5. The motor I2 is driven at aconstant speed from the power lines and the screw I5 is fed and rotated at a definite speed, depending upon the units employed. Thus, it may advance a chart by means of a non-rotating nut element I6 at the rate of 1" per hour, 1/2 per hour, or one centimeter per hour, depending upon the scale of the chart I'l employed. To adapt the device for different rates of feed, the gears I3 and I4 may be replaced or a screw I5 of different pitch may be employed.

One end of the screw I5 has a bearing in one of the frames I0, and the other end has a bearing I8 supported by a depending rod I9 from one of the rods II. The chart I1 is mounted on a Vplate 20 which is somewhat larger than the chart and it may be secured thereto in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a clip 2| and a rubber band 22. The plate 20 is mounted for easy movement in a horizontal direction. Thus, it may carry rollers 23 near its upper edge which ride on one of the bars II to support the plate. It may also carry a roller 24 near the lower end which rides upon another of the bars II. The' plate 20 may have an opening 25 through which extends a portion of the nut member I6 which rides on the screw I5. The nut member I6 may the other side of the rod 26.

and carries a pen 28, or other suitable marking 1 device. A portion of the carriage 21 extends to A weight 29 is mounted on this portion and the cord 30, which may suitably be a 'silk fishing line, is attached 'M thereto.

The cord 30 extends upwardly and slightly forwardly to a pulley 3l at the upper end of the rod 26. The cord passes over the pulley 3I and extends downwardly to a pulley 32 from which it extends substantially horizontally to the nut 33 to which it is secured. It may here be remarked that the nut 33 is located in definite zones along a screw 34 in accordance with the physical quality or phenomenon being measured.

The nut 33 is held against rotation by means of a forked member 35l which engages one of thev rods II. Consequently, when the screw 34 is rotated by a motor 36, the position of the nut 33 on the screw 34 is varied and, consequently, the altitude of the pen carriage 2'I on the chart is also varied. In the device of the aforesaid application Serial No. 133,333, the motor 36 automatically operates until a contact 31, which is propelled by a nut 3B mounted on a screw 39, reaches a certain point onv the potentiometer 40 which corresponds to a certain pH value which is to be recorded. The screw .39 is integral with the screw 34. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the device of. the aforesaid application or to the recording of pH, because it can be applied to the recording of all kinds of recordable data.

The weight 29, in conjunction with the forward Obliquity of the length of the cord 30, as best seen in Fig. 2, which supports it, results in the pen 28 being yieldlngly held against the chart I'l. Consequently, when the nut moves to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, the pen 28 rises on the chart I1, and when it moves to the left the pen 28 descends on the chart I1 owing to its weight and the weight 29. At all times the weight 29 provides a 'component which tends to' rotate the pen carriage so that the pen is always maintained against the chart I1 with a certain denite pressure` 'I'he chart moves from right to left under the action of the clock motor l2 and, consequently, the physical changes which are to be recorded and which are applied by movements of the nut 33 and cord 30 are graphically shown on the chart l1 for the intended space of time. At the end of that space of time the plate 20 may be swung forwardly slightly to disengage it from the nut member I 6 and the plate 20 may then be lifted out of the machine and the chart l1 may be removed. The nut member I6 may then be moved to the right along the screw I5, a new chart is applied to the plate 20, and the plate 20 is again installed with a portion of the nut member I6 extending through its opening 25. The chart may be accurately positioned on the plate 20 so that the initial contact of the pen with the chart may correspond to the time then prevailing.

Although the invention has been disclosed in connection with the specific details of a preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except in so far as set forth in the accompanying claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a recording instrument, in combination, a chart supporting member, a carriage, means supporting said carriage for free sliding and swinging movement, means for moving s aid chart supporting member in a direction transverse to the direction of the sliding movement, a recording element mounted on said carriage, and a cord for actuating said carriage, said cord extending at an inclination to the direction of sliding movement of the carriage to force said recording element towards the chart supporting member.

2. In a recording instrument, in combination, a chart supporting member, means for moving the chart supporting member, a carriage, means supporting said carriage for free sliding vertical movement transverse to the direction of movement of the chart supporting member and for swinging horizontal movement, a pen mounted on said carriage, and a cord attached to said carriage for actuating it,` said cord extending upwardly at an inclination to the vertical to force said pen towards the chart supporting member.

3. In a recording instrument, in combination, a chart supporting member, means for moving the chart supporting member in a horizontal direction, a carriage, means supporting said carriage for free sliding vertical movement and for swinging horizontal movement, a pen mounted on said carriage on one side of the supporting means, and a cord and weight attached to said carriage on the other side of said supporting means, said cord extending upwardly and away from the chart supporting member to force said pen towards the chart supporting member.

DONALD H. CAMERON. 

